Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups-Chapter 1173 - 570:

The darkness before dawn is the deepest.

Wenchuan District, the eastern beach of Qingshui Bay.

The tide was rising.

Black waves rolled layer upon layer, thundering continuously against the coastline.

In this desolate area, a solitary figure stood silently in the knee-deep seawater.

He was bare-chested, wearing only a pair of red shorts.

The waves roared and crashed against muscles as solid as cast iron, instantly breaking into white foam.

Yet, they could not shake his body in the slightest.

He was like a Stabilizer, his feet deeply plowed into the sea-bed sand, knees slightly bent, spine like a dragon standing tall.

The whole person exuded a peculiar tension that was both relaxed and taut, the epitome of Pile Skill in Inner Boxing’s "Rooted" level.

What was most surprising was that although he was in the bone-chilling sea, his skin appeared red-hot like burning iron.

As if hiding a fiercely burning furnace inside, radiating amazing heat outward continuously.

Sizzle——

The instant seawater touched his skin, it was vaporized by the terrifying heat, releasing waves of white smoke. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The wild wind blew, and the white smoke was swept into the dark sea in the distance, mingling with the waves.

After an unknown period, the figure’s shoulders slightly dropped, and his eyelids gradually lifted.

In an instant, it was as if two gleams of cold light cut through the dim sea surface.

His eyes shone bright in the night, exuding an awe-inspiring pressure.

"Hoo——"

Fang Cheng exhaled a long breath of turbid air, the white vapor piercing the darkness ahead, only to quickly be swept away by the sea breeze.

He then wiped the moisture and fine sand off his face, looking calmly toward the horizon where sea and sky met.

It was just before dawn, and the sky was faintly glowing blue-gray, heralding the arrival of a new day.

Since that evening when the Illuminati’s team-building event ended, three whole days had passed.

During this time, apart from visiting Uncle Lin in a black clinic for surgery, he was caught in a cycle of ceaseless activity.

By day, he shuttled between the Illuminati’s two new bases, assessing construction progress and offering Lin Chuqiao and the Professor advice, fulfilling his duties as a leader.

By night, he returned to the old house on Old Factory Street, nearly self-abusingly pushing his physical limits, constantly honing his body.

The skills "Jujitsu" and "Qigong" were especially at a bottleneck, on the brink of a breakthrough.

Thus, every day, besides completing his usual morning fitness routine, he added an extra five hours of Qigong and Jujitsu training, not daring to slack off.

As for Shen Wei, who was temporarily staying at his place, he was taken away by Ah Le yesterday afternoon.

Ah Le said he had found the traitor who betrayed them and had solid evidence, ready to contact some elders within the association for cleansing.

Upon hearing the news, despite his unhealed leg wounds, Shen Wei hurriedly returned to the East City Association in a wheelchair.

Fang Cheng had no interest in these Martial World grievances and assassinations, so he couldn’t be bothered.

After seeing off Shen Wei, he continued to immerse himself in cultivation, enjoying it endlessly.

Last night, while practicing Qigong in the living room, a flash of insight crossed his mind.

The feeling was like a thin paper separating him from a greater world beyond the door, just missing the piercing finger to break through.

Intuition told him that the opportunity for a breakthrough in his strength had arrived.

Coincidentally, "Qigong" was also ready for an upgrade.

To avoid stirring too much commotion during the breakthrough and drawing unnecessary attention, Fang Cheng drove overnight to Sea Sky Garden.

After a short rest, he got up at 4:30 a.m. as usual and went for a jog by the beach as part of his morning exercise routine.

After completing a few fitness skill practices, he began concentrating on Qigong cultivation.

And now, here he was.

As his thoughts stirred, a faint blue screen quietly emerged in the darkness.

[Qi Gong lv2 (496/500)]

Looking at the numbers on the panel, Fang Cheng’s gaze deepened, then he looked down at the log records.

From the time he began his Stance to now, it had been over an hour, yet the log only showed one "experience +1" message.

This meant that over this time, the progress bar barely moved, as if blocked by an invisible barrier.

This feeling of being on the cusp yet unable to strike the breakthrough was particularly frustrating.

Fang Cheng’s eyes were profound, contemplating with furrowed brows.

He seemed merely a fraction away from the Skill Level breakthrough.

But this small fraction prevented any effort from yielding results, leaving him stalled.

Could it really be that he could only rely on grinding over time to accumulate experience?

No, absolutely not!

The inspiration from last night surfaced clearly once again in his mind.

Fang Cheng lifted his eyes, gazing at the surging sea before him.

The night had not yet faded, the waves continuously lapping at the shore, their profound sound echoing between heaven and earth.

At this moment, his state was like this sea shrouded in darkness.

Though appearing dormant on the surface, it harbored astonishing power within, craving an outlet to release.

In advanced Martial Arts practice, what is cultivated is the understanding and emulation of the laws of the universe.

Especially for a profound skill like Qigong, which emphasizes Inner and Outer Unity, the fusion of mind and body.

It’s not something that can be achieved by merely grinding; reaching the legendary Transcendent state requires much more.

"What exactly am I missing?"

Fang Cheng murmured to himself.

He remained calm, maintaining a tranquil mindset.